NCAA Clearinghouse

Students who desire to play Division I or Division II college sports are required to register with the NCAA Clearinghouse Eligibility Center.

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                                                                      Instructions

 

 

 

 

Questions and Answers

 When should a student register with the NCAA Eligibility Center?

Students should register with the NCAA Eligibility Center their junior year in high school. At the end of the student's junior year, a transcript, including six semesters of grades, should be sent to the NCAA Eligibility Center from the high school. Additionally, students should have their SAT or ACT scores forwarded directly to the NCAA Eligibility Center (by using code "9999") whenever they take the exam.

The NCAA Eligibility Center provides two separate certifications for college-bound student-athletes who wish to compete at NCAA Division I or II colleges or universities.  These include an academic certification and an amateurism certification.   The academic certification is reviewed only if an NCAA Division I or II school identifies you as a student-athlete of interest.   The separate amateurism certification is processed at the request of the student.  On or after April 1 of your senior year in high school, you will need to log on to your account to request this certification.   

Watch for e-mails from the NCAA Eligibility Center, as they will notify you when it is time to request your final amateurism certification or if other information is needed to keep your NCAA Eligibility Center account on track.  To view your account at any time or to obtain answers to many frequently asked questions, including the NCAA Eligibility Center’s mailing address, please visit the website at www.eligibilitycenter.org.  

 What is the fee to register?

The registration fee for U.S. students is $65; and $95 for international students.  Fee waivers may be available, contact your guidance counselor for more information.


 What requirements do I need to be able to practice, play and get a scholarship at an NCAA Division I or II college or university?

You need to complete the following:

1. Graduate from high school;

2. Complete a minimum of 16 (for Division I) or 14 (for Division II) core courses;

3. Present the required grade-point average (GPA) (for complete details, see the Freshman Eligibility Standards Quick Reference Sheet for Division I or a minimum 2.0 GPA for Division II);

4. Present a qualifying test score on either the ACT or SAT (for complete details, see the Freshman Eligibility Standards Quick Reference Sheet); and

5. Request final amateurism certification (beginning April 1 for fall enrollees or beginning October 1 for spring enrollees).

 

May independent-study, Internet and correspondence courses count as core courses? Yes, if the following four conditions are met (beginning August 1, 2010):

1. Courses that are taught through distance learning, online, credit recovery, etc. need to be comparable in length, content and rigor to courses taught in a traditional classroom setting. Students may not skip lessons or test out of modules. The course must be four-year college preparatory.

2. All courses must include ongoing access between the instructor and student, as well as regular interaction for purposes of teaching, evaluating and providing assistance. This may include, for example, exchanging of e-mails between the student and teacher, feedback on assignments, and the opportunity for the teacher to engage the student in individual instruction. Any course taken must have a defined time period for completion. For example, it should be clear whether the course is meant to be taken for an entire semester or during a more condensed time frame, such as six weeks, etc.

3. Nontraditional courses should be clearly identified as such on the high school transcript.

Nontraditional courses completed prior to August 1, 2010, will be reviewed under NCAA standards in place prior to August 1, 2010. It is important to remember that all courses need to be rigorous and four-year college preparatory in nature. Students should be encouraged to take courses that are quantitatively and qualitatively the same as courses offered through traditional means, and to take courses that will prepare them for the academic rigors they will face at a four-year college or university.

To read more about this new rule, go to www.eligibilitycenter.org and click the "High School Administrators Enter Here" link, then the "Resources" page and read the documents related to online/virtual/credit recovery courses.

 

May college courses count as core courses? 
College courses may be used to satisfy core-curriculum requirements if the courses are accepted and awarded credit by the high school for any student and meet all other requirements for core courses. For NCAA Division I only, such courses must be placed on the student's high school transcript.

 

How is my core-course GPA calculated? 
Your core-course GPA is the average of your best grades achieved for all required core courses. If you have taken extra core courses, those courses will be used in your GPA, only if they improve your GPA.

 

Can weighted grades for honors or advanced-placement courses be factored into the calculation of the student's core GPA? 
A school's normal practice of weighting honors or advanced courses may be used, as long as the weighting is used for computing GPAs. Weighting cannot be used if the high school weights grades for the purpose of determining class rank. Additionally, in no instance may the student receive greater than 1.000 additional quality point for purposes of calculating the GPA for initial eligibility.

 

How is the NCAA core GPA different from a student's overall GPA? 
The NCAA core-course GPA is calculated using only NCAA-approved core courses in the required number of core units. High school GPAs generally include the grades from most or all courses attempted in grades 9- 12